Vital Stats:
This cigar was reviewed blind (no bands) by a panel of at least 4 reviewers. They did not know what they were smoking beforehand. The scores are an average of all the reviewers' scores with outliers removed. All of our cigars reviewed are shipped to the panelists with Boveda packs to ensure optimal smoking experience.
Vitola: Toro
Length: 6.5″
Ring Gauge: 56
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Oscuro Maduro
Binder: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Filler: Nicaragua
Factory: Tabacalera La Alianza S.A.
Blender: E. P. Carrillo
Number of reviewers: 4—–Dave (mdwest) Jiunn (jliu) Aaron (aaron72) Emmett (rhetorik)
Price: $15.00
Age: 3 Years, 3 Months
Release Date: October 2011
Contributed by: Seth Geise (Seth’s Humidor)
Initial Impressions
Appearance: 90
“A very dark brown wrapper on this beefy looking cigar. A couple of medium veins along with a network of much smaller veins are visible. The seams are blended very well and only really visible due to some transitions in color. The caps are applied very nicely.” –Aaron (aaron72)
Aroma: 89
“A very nice bouquet of sweet cocoa and hay fill the nose.” –Dave (mdwest)
First Third
Flavor: 90
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
“There are some really nice caramel and cocoa notes that come through on the first few puffs that make me think this might be a very enjoyable stick once I get a little further into it. There is a bit more pepper on the finish than I normally like, but the sweetness on the front compensates for that quite a bit.” –Dave (mdwest)
“The pre-light draw is of tobacco and cocoa powder. Upon lighting, the first flavors that are presented are wood with a hint of pepper. The pepper goes away from the flavor on the draws, but still hangs around on the back of the tongue during the finish. The woodiness is really the only flavor here although it continually morphs which type of wood is represented. About half way into the third, the pepper begins to come back. It is more of a dull pepper that is just enough to let you know it’s there.” –Aaron (aaron72)
Second Third
Flavor: 90
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
“As the second third kicks off, the wood has become a distinct cedar with a good amount of spice along with it. A half inch in, and the cigar transitions to oak. The spice has gone away. The retrohale is reminiscent of a wood fired barbeque. Nearing the end of the third, a slight bitterness joins in with the wood, but it’s not enough to be off putting.” –Aaron (aaron72)
“This third has lightened up a bit in body, with the flavors of oak turning into cedar. The espresso flavor is still around but the spices are more pronounced now with black pepper and cumin. Towards the end of the third, the espresso has changed into coffee. The mouthfeel has a chalkyness to it. I enjoyed this third just as much as the previous one.” –Emmett (rhetorik)
Final Third
Flavor: 89
Strength: Medium-Strong
Body/Complexity: Medium
“Last thirds core flavors mirror the first and second thirds. Still notes of sweet cream, roasted nuts, leather, cedar and just the right amount of black pepper to round it out. At certain points, I do get a nice dose of caramel, baking spice and mint. Body and strength is still at a solid medium.” –Jiunn (jliu)
“Everything has become a bit muted in this third. The spices and wood flavors are not as pronounced as before. I should also note that the burn and draw have been almost perfect throughout the entire cigar. The cigar finishes out pretty much the same, with just a little lift in spice toward the end. This was my least favorite of the thirds, but still good.” –Emmett (rhetorik)
Overall Impressions
Draw: 96
“Perfect draw. Just the right amount of resistance.” –Jiunn (jliu)
Burn: 93
“A reasonably straight burn line was maintained, and consistent combustion was provided from start to finish. A solid burn from beginning to end.” –Dave (mdwest)
Construction: 94
“The ash retention was remarkable, almost two inches. Overall, everything performed very well.” –Emmett (rhetorik)
Overall Strength: Medium-Strong
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
Overall Experience: 90
“Overall, a nice smoke. I’m not sure I’m inspired enough to run out and make an immediate purchase upon the reveal, but I would certainly smoke this stick again down the road and give it another try.” –Dave (mdwest)
“Overall, this was a very good cigar. This is what a cigar should be. Flavor over strength. I loved the sweet cream and roasted nuts flavors. In general, give me a flavor profile as this and I will be a happy camper. The only downside is the complexity and transitions. I do wish there was more of both. I’ll gladly get 2 or 3 of these to spend a good 1.5 hours on.” –Jiunn (jliu)
“I would describe this cigar as pedestrian. There wasn’t really anything special about it. If you really enjoy wood flavors without much pepper or spice, then this may be a cigar for you. I wouldn’t really see myself reaching for this cigar again.” –Aaron (aaron72)
“This was a great cigar with nice bold flavors and great performance technically. My only complaint was that I wish the final third had offered a bit more, but that’s minor and I would certainly have some more. I could easily recommend this as a medium bodied late evening smoke with great dark espresso flavors and wood background.” –Emmett (rhetorik)
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Smoking Time (in minutes): 123
| Reviewer | Appearance | Aroma | 3-Jan | 3-Feb | 3-Mar | Draw | Burn | Constr. | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dave | 85 | 90 | 88 | 88 | 88 | 88 | 88 | 85 | 88 |
| Jiunn | 88 | 85 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 90 |
| Aaron | 92 | 90 | 88 | 88 | 88 | 97 | 88 | 93 | 88 |
| Emmett | 95 | 90 | 95 | 95 | 90 | 100 | 95 | 97 | 95 |
To view the complete scores and notes, click here.
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